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1 Kings 13:5

The Philistines also were assembled to fight against Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a multitude of people besides, like the sand on the sea shore for number. And going up they camped in Machmas at the east of Bethaven.

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The verse in its languages

Vulgate (Clementine): Et Philisthiim congregati sunt ad præliandum contra Israël, triginta millia curruum, et sex millia equitum, et reliquum vulgus, sicut arena quæ est in littore maris plurima. Et ascendentes castrametati sunt in Machmas ad orientem Bethaven.
Septuagint (Swete): καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι συνάγονται εἰς πόλεμον ἐπὶ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ τριάκοντα χιλιάδες ἁρμάτων καὶ ἓξ χιλιάδες ἱππέων καὶ λαὸς ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῷ πλήθει· καὶ ἀναβαίνουσιν καὶ παρεμβάλλουσιν ἐν Μαχεμὰς ἐξ ἐναντίας Βαιθωρὼν κατὰ νώτου.
Hebrew (WLC): וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֞ים נֶאֶסְפ֣וּ לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם עִם יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֤לֶף רֶ֨כֶב֙ וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ פָּרָשִׁ֔ים וְעָ֕ם כַּח֛וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל שְׂפַֽת הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ בְמִכְמָ֔שׂ קִדְמַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית אָֽוֶן

Haydock's commentary

Chariots. This number seems almost incredible, as the Philistines were but a contemptible nation, compared with various others which never brought so many chariots into the field. Zara, king of Ethiopia, in his army of a million men, had only 300, 2 Paralipomenon xiv. 9. Adarezer had 1000, and Sesac 1200 chariots, while Solomon could only boast of 1400. Hence the Syriac and Arabic read "3000;" and it is supposed that the Hebrew has im, at the end of shelosh, redundant. (Bochart, Capel, &c.) The number of horsemen would otherwise bear no proportion with the chariots. We must also observe, that under this name the Scripture denotes those who upon the chariots. They were drawn by two horses, and one man guided the horses, while another stood on the chariot; and in battle, eight other soldiers attended it. These remarks will tend to explain many difficult passages, in which we read of chariots being slain and hamstrung, which may be understood of the men and horses, 2 Kings viii. 4., and x. 18. In one place we read 700, and in another 7000 chariot were slain, (1 Paralipomenon xix. 18,) the latter number comprising the 10 attendants; so here, the Philistines might have 3000 chariots, which being each accompanied with ten men, might be counted as 30,000. (Calmet)

Others think that there were 30,000 men fighting on chariots. (Lyranus; Salien)

The Tyrians might have come to the assistance of their old friends, as chap. vii. 10. See 3 Kings iv. 26. (Menochius)

Number. Josephus specifies "300,000 infantry." (Haydock)

Bethaven. Many copies of the Septuagint read, "Bethoron," more probably, as Bethel must have been on the east of Machmas, which lay north of Gabaa, chap xiv. 5. (Calmet) "over-against Bethoron on the south." (Grabe) (Haydock)

Read on

Hebrew also, "having Bethaven on the east." Bethel was called Bethaven after the schism of Jeroboam, so that this name seems to have been substituted by a later writer, (Calmet) unless it might have had both names long before, Josue xviii. 12. (Haydock)

This is not contrary to chap. vii. 13, as the Philistines had been quiet for a long time. Hebrew álom, properly denotes the term of a jubilee or 50 years. (Du Hamel)

From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.